2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cisco Public
ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 1 1
Link-State Routing
Protocols
Routing Protocols and
Concepts Chapter 10
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Objectives
Describe the basic features & concepts of link-state
routing protocols.
List the benefits and requirements of link-state routing
protocols.
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Introduction
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Link-State Routing
Link state routing protocols
-Also known as shortest path first algorithms
-These protocols built around Dijkstras
SPF
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Link-State Routing
Dikjstras algorithm also known as the shortest path first
(SPF) algorithm
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Link-State Routing
The shortest path to a destination is not necessarily the
path with the least number of hops
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Link-State Routing
Link-State Routing Process
How routers using Link State Routing Protocols reach
convergence
-Each routers learns about its own directly connected networks
-Link state routers exchange hello packet to meet other
directly
connected link state routers.
-Each router builds its own Link State Packet (LSP) which
includes information about neighbors such as neighbor ID, link
type, & bandwidth.
-After the LSP is created the router floods it to all neighbors who
then store the information and then forward it until all routers
have the same information.
-Once all the routers have received all the LSPs, the routers
then construct a topological map of the network which is used to
determine the best routes to a destination
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Link-State Routing
Directly Connected Networks
Link
This is an interface on a
router
Link state
This is the information
about the state of the
links
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Link-State Routing
Sending Hello Packets to Neighbors
Link state routing protocols use a hello protocol
Purpose of a hello protocol:
-To discover neighbors (that use the same
link state routing protocol) on its link
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Link-State Routing
Sending Hello Packets to
Neighbors
Connected interfaces that are using
the same link state routing protocols
will exchange hello packets.
Once routers learn it has neighbors
they form an adjacency
-2 adjacent neighbors will
exchange hello packets
-These packets will serve as a
keep alive function
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Link-State Routing
Building the Link State Packet
Each router builds its own
Link State Packet (LSP)
Contents of LSP:
-State of each directly
connected link
-Includes information
about neighbors such as
neighbor ID, link type, &
bandwidth.
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Link-State Routing
Flooding LSPs to Neighbors
Once LSP are created they are forwarded out to
neighbors.
-After receiving the LSP the neighbor continues to
forward it throughout routing area.
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Link-State Routing
LSPs are sent out under the following conditions
-Initial router start up or routing process
-When there is a change in topology
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Link-State Routing
Constructing a link state data base
Routers use a database to construct a topology map of
the network
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Link-State Routing
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Link-State Routing
Shortest Path First (SPF) Tree
Building a portion of the SPF tree
Process begins by examining R2s LSP information
-R1 ignores 1st LSP
Reason: R1 already knows its connected to R2

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Link-State Routing
Building a portion of the SPF tree
-R1 uses 2nd LSP
Reason: R1 can create a link from R2 to R5.
This information is added to R1s SPF tree

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Link-State Routing
Building a portion of the SPF tree
-R1 uses 3rd LSP
Reason: R1 learns that R2 is connected to
10.5.0.0/16.
This link is added to R1s SPF tree.

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Link-State Routing
Determining the shortest path
The shortest path to a destination determined by adding the
costs & finding the lowest cost
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Link-State Routing
Once the SPF algorithm has determined the shortest
path routes, these routes are placed in the routing
table.
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Link-State Routing Protocols


Routing
protocol


Builds
Topological
map


Router can
independently
determine the
shortest path to
every network.



Convergence


A periodic/
event driven
routing updates


Use
of
LSP

Distance
vector

No

No

Slow

Generally No

No

Link State


Yes

Yes

Fast

Generally Yes

Yes
Advantages of a Link-State Routing Protocol
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Link-State Routing Protocols
Requirements for using a link state routing protocol
Memory requirements
Typically link state routing protocols use more
memory
Processing Requirements
More CPU processing is required of link state
routing protocols
Bandwidth Requirements
Initial startup of link state routing protocols can
consume lots of bandwidth
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Link-State Routing Protocols
2 link state routing protocols used for routing IP
-Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
-Intermediate System-Intermediate System (IS-IS)
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Summary
Link State Routing protocols are also known as
Shortest Path First protocols
Summarizing the link state process
-Routers 1ST learn of directly connected networks
-Routers then say hello to neighbors
-Routers then build link state packets
-Routers then flood LSPs to all neighbors
-Routers use LSP database to build a network topology
map & calculate the best path to each destination
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Summary
Link
An interface on the router
Link State
Information about an interface such as
-IP address
-Subnet mask
-Type of network
-Cost associated with link
-Neighboring routers on the link
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Summary
Link State Packets
After initial flooding, additional LSP are sent out
when a change in topology occurs

Examples of link state routing protocols
-Open shortest path first
-IS-IS
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